Ball-blank-forming machine



Aug.'27, 1929. I e. E. ABBOTT 1,726,464

BALL BLANK FORMING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 cm Q 5%- Aug. 27, 1929. Y s. E. ABBOTT 1,726,454

BALL BLANK FORMING mwrunm Filed April 15, 1924 5 heets-sheet 2 g- 27, 1929- G. E. ABBOTT 1,726,464

BALL BLANK FORMING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1924 5 Sheet S-Sheet 5 GEQRGE E. ABBOTT, or wear mnrroan, BALL COMPANY, or wEs'r marrow,

NECTICU'I.

PATE T OFFICE.

connncrrcnr, .a'ssrenoa, r0 THE Annorr comm-ricer, A coaromrron or con- BALL-BmNK-FORMING MACHINE.

Application filed April 15, 1924. swarm. 706,6?7.

My invention relates .to the class of machines employed to form blanks to be shaped into balls for burnishing purposes, for bearings and for other purposes, and an object of my invention, among others, is the production of a machine of this class that shall be rapid in production and particularly eflicient in operation.

One form of a machine embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as wellas others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved ballblankforming machine.

Figure 2 is a view, substantially tho not wholly, in vertical section of a plane passing lengthwise through the axis of the spindle of the machine and'as denoted by the dotted line 22 of Figure 6.

Figure 3 is a detail view in central vertical section of a portion of the structure on a plane denoted by the dotted line 33 of Figure 6. e 1

Figure 4 is a view in section of a portion of the structure on a plane denoted by the dotted line-H of Flgure 5, parts underneath being omitted- Figure 5 is a view'in section substantially on a plane denoted by the dotted line 5-5 of Figure 2, parts beyond being omitted.

Figure 6 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 66 of Figure 2, with parts beyond omitted.

Figure 7 is a view on-a plane denoted by the dotted line 77 of Figure 2, but with the pulley only removed. i i

Figure 8 is-a perspective view of a fragment of the ball blank cutting mechanism?- Figure 9 (sheet 1) is a view, scale en-' larged, of a portion of the ball blank cutter of a modified form.

Figure 10 (sheet 1), is a view, scale en-' larged, of a ball blank produced by the operation of my improved machine and with the cutter shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 (sheet 1) is a similar view but showing a ball blank lproduced by the op.- eration of the cutters s own in Figure 8..

In the accompanying drawings the. numera1 10 denotes a bed and 11 a bearing. bracket 1 of myimproved ball blanliformingnmachine,

the latter having a bearing 12 wit n which a bearing sleeve 13 is secured as-by means of a nut 14 upon the threaded end of the sleeve at one side of the bearing, thereby drawing a shoulder on said sleeve into contact with the opposite side of the bearing, as shown in Figure 20f the drawings. ThlS sleeve projects for some distance be 0nd the bearing and an actuating gea'r'15 is seated against a shoulder thereon and is rigidly secured thereto. A drivingsleeve 16 is rotatably mounted in the bearing sleeve 13 and a driving pulley 17 'is rotatably mounted on said driving. sleeve, said pulle being adapted to receive a belt employed or driving purposes, an annular rib 53 on the pulley extending into an annular recess 54 in a housing 18 mounted upon and secured to the sleeve 13. A transmission gear 19 is mounted upon and secured to the sleeve 16, this gear being approximately of the same size as the gear 15, but preferably having a different number of teeth, in the present instance one less tooth, this for the purpose of obtaining the desired ratio of movement between rotating parts.

Planetary gears 20 are located on diametrically opposite sides of said actuating and transmission gears, said planetary gears being rotatably mounted on hearing studs 21 secured to and projecting from the pulley 17, and each of said planetary gears has a pinion 22 rigidly secured'thereto and meshing with a planetary direction pinion 23 that in turn meshes with a driving pinion 24,

said direction and driving pinions being rotatably mounted on studs secured to and projecting from the pulley 17, and as shown in Figure 7 ofthe drawings. 24"meshes with the transmission gear 19 ably in a direction the same as that of the pulley. As the pulley rotates faster than said sleeve the latter is rotated in the same direction as the pulley in order to lessen the friction'between said rotating parts; All

The pinion and thereby, when the'pulley 17 is rotated,

the driving sleeve 16 will be rotated preferinner end for contraction purposes. The endof this collet isalso slotted-to receive feedrollers 27 #28, said rollers being peripherally grooved for the'reception of a length of wire 7 29 and the roller 27 having its periphery formed as a worm on both ides of th the necessary adjustment of the cutters.

groove therein.

The wire 29 extends through wire supports 3031 located in opposite ends of an .mne'r tube 32 which tube extends through the collet and as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The wire support 31 hasa taper-' ed recess in.its inner end to act as a guide for directingthe wire thereinto.

The end of the driving sleeve 16 is en- Iarged to constitute a worm head 33, said head having a chamber within which the feed rolls 27-28 are located, the wall of said chamber being threaded as a worm to mesh with the teeth of the worm formed on the periphery of the roll 27, and the roll 28 I being in contact with the roll 27 and being caused to turn by reason of the friction of such contact.

The outer surface of the head 33 is also formed with a worm thread which meshes with the teeth of aoworm wheel 34 secured to a shaft 35 rotatably mounted in a bearing block 36 in, a cutter head section 37 of a cutter head,"s'aid cutter head section also comprising an outer section 38, the section 37 being secured to the side of the pulley 17. as by means of screws, and the section 38 being secured to the section 37 as by means of screws, all as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. The section 37 is hollow to receive the block 36, and the 35 latter is secured in locked engagement with the section 37 as by means of a locking pin 39 driven tightly in place. Spiral gears 4Q are secured to the shaft 35 on opposite sides of the worm wheel 34, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, and these spiral gears each mesh with a spiral ear 41 secured to a cutter shaft 42 rotatafily mounted in a cutter bearing block- 43 adjustably positioned -ina recess 44in the outer cutter head section 38,,and as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, there being two sets of cutter mechanisms, and each set being' mounted in a block 43. The two blocks 43 are interengaged as by rib 45'on one block enter-' ing a ove 4 'in the opposite block, and cache said blocks has a groove 47v to receive cutter supporting blocks 48 secured in said grooves as by means of pins 49. These blocks are located opposite each other in the bearin blocks 43 and their facing edges are eac formed to receive a cutter 50 a wire guide 51 and a bearing disc 52 a closely and securely fastened together as a unit.. The guides 51 are of larger diameter than the cutters, and they are located on opposite sides of the cutters, as shown in-Figui'e 8, the periphery of each of said guides extending inwardly beyond the periphery of the cutter 50. .Sufiicient clear-' edges of the guides 51 and discs 52 to prevent, the .collection of dirt and also permit This construction of the cutter units provides an opening through which the wire 29 is extended" and within which it is retained against any danger of accidental displacemenh-while being acted upon by the cutters, and the construction of the supportingblocks 48 to closely fit this cutter unit guard against any danger of any pieces of metal being lodged in'a position where they might be detrimental to the operation of the machine. Y

. The cutters 5Q are'each formed with a toothed cutting edge, the spaces between the teeth, if desired, being formed approximate- 'ly on arcs of circles, as shown particularly in Figure 9 of the drawings, as to cutters 55, or the teeth may be of angular form as shown in Figure 8, the former producing blanks 56 as shown in Figure 10 and the later producing blanks 57 as shown in Figure 11. In either case the crowns of the teeth on the opposed cutters are located sufliciently close to sever the blanks from the wire 29.

The parts travel in the direction indicated by the arrows in the various views so that the mounting of the cutters in the rotatable cutter head section 38 causes the cutters to be rotated or, more precisely speaking, re-- volved on what may be termed a cutting or forming axis, that is an axis passing between axes while said cutters are 'rotated comp'aratively fast on their cutting'axes, these cutting axes in fact being the same .as the axis of rotation of the device as 'a whole. In this cutting or forming action none of the metal is removed, but it is displaced or molded so that the blanks are of the shape shown in'Figures 10 or 11, and such blanks are subsequently subjected to a further operation which causes them to be formed into round shape. Froin this it will be seen that the-cutters in addition to their function of severing the blanks from the wire also form them and in this sense they are formers as well as cutters.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I-have described the principles of"' operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to ance is provided between the peripheral represent the best embodiment thereof, but I transverse to the axisof rotation of said sup-x *port, an operative connection between said formers and said head,- andmeans for supporting a wire for delivery to saidformers.

2. A forming machine'comprising a rotatably mounted support, a head mounted in' said support to rotate independentl thereof at a different rate of speed, a pair 0 formers mounted in said. support to rotate upon axes transverse to the axis of rotation of said support, an operative connection between said head and formers, andmeans for supporting a wire for deliveryto said formers.

3. A forming machine comprising a rotatably mounted support, 'a head located within the support to rotate u on the axis independently thereof but at a ifierent rateof speed, a worm thread formed on said head, a pair of formers mounted in said. head to rotate upon axes transverse to the axis of rotation of the head, an operative connection between said formers and said worm thread, and

means for supporting a wire for delivery to said formers. p

4. A forming machine comprising. a rotatably mounted support, planetary gears.car-' ried by said support, ahead mounted in said.

support to rotate independently thereof and operatively connected with said gears to be rotated thereby, a pair of formers mounted. in said support to rotate upon axes transverse to the axis of'rotation of said sup- I port, an operative connection between said head and said formers for rotation of the latter, and means for supporting a wire for delivery to said formers.

, 5. A forming machine comprising a rotat abl mounted support, planetary gears carrie by said support, a head mounted in said support to rotate upon the same axis and independently thereof, an operative connection between said head and. saidgears to rotate said head at a different rate from that of said support a pair of formers rotatably mounted in said support, an operative connection between said head and said formersto rotate the latter in said sup ort,.

and means for supporting a wire for elivery to said formers.

6. A forming machine comprising a rotatably mounted support, a head mounted for rotation insaid support, means operated by the rotation of said support for rotating different spee herefrom, a pair of formers mounted in said support to rotate on axes transverse to the axis of rotation of the support, means for rotating the formers, feed rollers mounted in saidhead, means for operating said rollers, and means for supporting a wire for delivery to said rollersp I said head ihdapendently of said support at a r I 7. A forming machine comprisng arota'tably mounted support, a head mounted for rotation in said support, means operated by .rotatiomof said'support for rotating said head at a difierent rate of speed, a pair of formers mounted in said support toJrotate on axes transverse to the axis of ,rotation of the support, means for rotating the formsupport, a head rotatably mounted in said support and havin an internal aiid an external worm threa means connected with the external worm thread and with the formers for rotatin the latter, feed rolls mounted within the ead and in engagement with the internal worm thread for operation of said rolls, and means 'for supporting a wire for delivery to said rolls.

9. A forming machine comprising a rotatably mounted support, a driving sleeve upon which said supportiis rotatably mounted, a

head carried by said sleeve, means for rotating said support and said sleeve in the same direction but at different rates of speed, a

pair of formers mounted in said support to rotate on axes transverse to the axis of rotatlon of'the support, an operative connect10n between said head and sald formers for rotation of the latter, and means for supportinia wire for delivery to said rolls.

10. forming machine including a collet ha'vinga hole to receive a wire extending through said collet, a pair of feed rolls rotatably mounted in said. collet, a driving sleeve rotatably surrounding said collet, a support rotatably mounted on said sleeve, means for rotating said sleeve and support at difl'erent rates of speed, a pair of formers mounted in said support to rotate on axes transverse to the axis of rotation,of said support, and means for rotating said form- IS.

11. A forming machine comprising a I bearing sleeve, a driving sleeve rotatably mounted on said bearing sleeve, a support rotatably mounted on said driving sleeve,

means for rotating said driving sleeve and support at different rates oispeed, a head carried by said driving sleeye, a pair' of 1 port to rotate on axes transverse to the formers mounted in said support to rotate on axes transverse to the axis of rotation of said support, means for rotating said formers, and means for supporting-a wire for delivery to said formers.

12. A forming machine comprising a bearing sleeve, a "gear secured to said sleeve, a.

driving sleeve rotatably mounted on said bearing sleeve, a gear secured to said driving sleeve, a head carried by said driving sleeve, a support rotatably -mounted on said driving sleeve, planetary gears carried by said support and operatively connecting the gears upon said sleeves, a pair of formers mounted to rotate on axes transverse to the axis of rotation of said support, an operative connection betweensaid head and said formers for operating the latter, and means for supporting a Wire for delivery to said formers. V

. 13. A forming machine comprising a supporting sleeve, a collet within said sleeve and having an opening for the reception of a wire, a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in said collet, a driving sleeve rotatably' mounted on said supporting sleeve, a sup-r port 'rotatably mounted on said driving sleeve, a driving head carried by said driving sleeve, means for rotating'said driving,-

sleeve by reason of the rotation of said support, a pair of formers mounted in said supaxis of rotation of said support, and means for supporting a" wire for delivery to said rollers. V i

14. A forming machine comprising a rota-'- tably mounted support, a sectional cutter head comprising two sections of substantially the? same shape supported one by the other and removably secured to said support, a pair of formers mounted in said head to rotate on axes transverse to the axis of rotation of said head to make deep grooves in a wire blank, means for rotating said tion, a connection located on' said inner section and connected with said formers to rotate them, and means for supporting a Wire for delivery to said formers.

16. The process of forming blanks that consists in. revolving a pair of formers having peripheral forming teeth on an axis ooincident with a plane extending diametrically through said formers to make deep" forming teeth located in juxtaposition to produce deep grooves extending around a wire blank for division of the blank into separate articles, means for rotating the formers to produce said grooves, means for revolving sald formers on planes colncident with the axis of rotation thereof, and means for supporting a Wire for delivery between.

the edges of said formers and to be fed thcrethrough by the action thereof.

19. A forming machine comprising a pair of disc shaped formers mounted to revolve upon a forming axis to make deep grooves of like formation in a blank and to rotate upon feeding axes. to continuously feed said blank by action in said grooves, and means independentof said blank for rotating said formers to'effect said feeding action.

20. A forming machine comprising a pair of disc shaped formers having peripheral forming teeth to make deep grooves of like formationin a blank to produce formations of like shape on opposite sides of said groove, said formers being mounted to rotate upon feeding axes and also upon a forming axisfmeans for imparting one rate of rotation to said formers upon their feeding axes, and means for impartinganother rate of rotation to said formers upon said forming axis.

' GEORGE ABBOTT. 

